PINAKI MAJUMDAR
Jamshedpur, March 25: Tata Main Hospital, the leading private heal hub in steel city today asked people not to panic over the H3N2 influenza virus.
Instead it asked local residents to follow necessary health protocols which included wearing face masks, maintaining social distancing, and use of sanitizers to ward off the virus.
Notably, of the five dozen samples so far sent for testing only one positive case of H3N2 was detected and that to the patient has recovered and is likely to be discharged from the hospital tomorrow, said Dr. Ashok Sundar, chief consultant and head of the department (Medicine), Tata Main Hospital.
According to him, people over 65 years with comorbodities, pregnant women and newborn child needs to follow utmost precautions for preventing the disease. The hospital has activated the Covid ward into an isolation ward for keeping suspected patients of H3N2.
The Covid ward which was active during the global pandemic had become almost non-functional for the last few months with improvement in the situation.
Dr. Sudhir Rai, general manager (Medical Services) Tata Steel said with the rise in cases of H3N2 in the country and the detection of one case at the TMH they decided to convert the Covid ward into an isolation ward for keeping H3N2 suspected patients.
A 68-year-old woman who tested positive for H3N2 influenza last Saturday was undergoing treatment at the isolation ward of the hospital. The elderly woman, a resident of the Sakchi locality did not have a travel history. Doctors attending her said she has recovered and would be discharged from the hospital in a day or two.
Barring the woman, no other positive H3N2 case was detected in the city.
Meanwhile, the district health department has intensified tests for the influenza virus and has issued necessary directives to all the private and government hospitals across the district.
